BRITISH RV-er seeks advice

New Member

I am planning a 9-month tour of the USA and Canada and wonder if anyone can help with the following questions. I intend to buy an RV in the USA and sell it at the end, probably using a large consignment dealer for both buying and selling.
1.Are RVs cheaper in the USA or Canada, or about the same?
2.Ideally I am looking for a C-class vehicle priced to a max of $25,000 - any particular recommendations? (I own a 1989 European A-class motorhome and have little experience of US RVs).
3.It seems that unlike the UK, diesel engines are fairly rare (I prefer diesels because they are usually good for 250,000+ miles). What is the life expectancy of a US petrol-engined RV?
4.Does anyone have any dealer recommendations in the Boston/New York area, preferably ones with a large amount of stock?

Senior Member

First of all, for $25K you won't be able to buy a new class C. You will probably be looking for one that is about 3-5 years old. And you are correct that most of these will be gasoline engin powered. With proper care these engines should last for 150,000 miles or more. I have never shopped for RVs in Canada so can't offer any help there.

3. Diesels are far less common over here than in Europe. Usually the only motor homes which have them are the large class A's (which are well out of your budget). Remember, most RVs are only driven about 5000 miles a year, so unless you get an absolute antique, you shouldn't have to expect any motor problems. Most class C's are built on a Ford chassis--the V-10 is a very good motor.

4. In North America, vehicle registration and many taxes are determined by the state/province. Thus, you have over 60 different sets of rules. Both Massachussetts (where Boston is) and New York are high-tax areas